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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cap — of ice
  10. drill — army training
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bear — the animal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cap — a hat
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. kick — in football
  23. drill — the tool
  24. kick — with a leg

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