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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. last — to go on
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. bulb — for light
  6. charge — a price
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. present — a gift
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. last — finally
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. last — final
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. perch — for a bird

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