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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. content — the amount
  3. scale — in music
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rash — hasty
  6. lean — to bend
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rash — a series
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. scale — size or range
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. content — happy
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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