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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. charge — in control
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rock — music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rock — a stone
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. charge — a price
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cold — an illness
  24. safe — out of danger

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