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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 116 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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 — with an edge
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. band — a music group
  6. field — a subject
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. snap — to click
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wound — an injury
  13. band — a ring
  14. ground — crushed
  15. field — for sport
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ground — a position
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. ground — the earth
  23. field — farmland
  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