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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. club — for golf
  4. stock — shares
  5. rest — what's left
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. branch — a division
  10. rest — what's left
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. rest — a break
  13. board — a committee
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. stock — goods
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. sharp — clever

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