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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — thin
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. lean — to bend
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wound — an injury
  24. sharp — clever

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