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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. face — to point toward
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lie — to recline
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rash — a series
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. key — in music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. face — part of the head
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pit — a hole
  16. key — for a lock
  17. date — the fruit
  18. sharp — clever
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. face — to confront
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. key — the most important part

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