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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. snap — to click
  8. bear — the animal
  9. current — happening now
  10. deal — to handle
  11. tube — a container
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. current — of water
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. current — electric
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bass — the fish

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