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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. current — of water
  5. object — an aim
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bass — low music
  8. current — electric
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. object — to protest
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. current — happening now
  15. fall — the season
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bass — the fish
  18. object — a thing
  19. last — to go on
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com