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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 124 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. game — a match
  3. season — of the year
  4. lean — thin
  5. fall — the season
  6. game — wild animals
  7. current — happening now
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. sharp — clever
  11. branch — a division
  12. current — electric
  13. charge — a price
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. season — in sport
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. current — of water
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fall — to drop

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