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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. last — final
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. suit — to fit
  8. last — finally
  9. net — after costs
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bank — for money
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. last — to go on
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. sharp — clever
  24. content — videos and posts

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