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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. net — in sport
  10. rock — music
  11. mark — a trace
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rock — a stone
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. net — for catching
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. suit — clothes
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. saw — the tool
  23. net — after costs
  24. fork — in a road

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