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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. capital — money
  3. fork — in a road
  4. sharp — clever
  5. capital — a city
  6. spell — magic
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. hand — help
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. firm — steady
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. spell — letters
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. spell — a short time

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