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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. branch — a division
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. spring — of water
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pit — in a race
  14. chair — a leader
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mouse — for a computer

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