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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lean — thin
  4. last — final
  5. game — wild animals
  6. sharp — clever
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. suit — to fit
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. suit — clothes
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. deal — to handle
  20. suit — in cards
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. game — a match

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