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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. capital — money
  4. mug — a face
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. capital — a city
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. snap — to click
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. squash — the sport
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mug — to rob

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