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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pitch — completely
  15. spell — letters
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. spell — magic
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mouse — for a computer

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