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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cell — in biology
  3. spring — the season
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. ball — a great time
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. saw — the tool
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pit — in a race
  11. spring — of water
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. roll — a list
  21. cell — a phone
  22. ball — a dance
  23. spring — a coil
  24. roll — a cake

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