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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rash — a series
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rest — a break
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bound — certain
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. snap — to click
  22. rash — hasty
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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