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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 124 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mug — a face
  3. sharp — clever
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. object — a thing
  10. mug — to rob
  11. key — in music
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. key — the most important part
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. key — for a lock
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. object — to protest
  19. rash — a series
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. object — an aim
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rash — hasty
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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