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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bank — of a river
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bear — the animal
  13. snap — to click
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. shower — rain
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. shower — to wash

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