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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mark — a trace
  4. tear — from crying
  5. scale — in music
  6. tear — to rip
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. tear — from crying
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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