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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bat — the animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. lean — thin
  7. net — after costs
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. net — for catching
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. sharp — with an edge

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