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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rash — a series
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cold — an illness
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cold — not warm

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