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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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. sharp — exactly
  4. track — a path
  5. spring — the season
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. track — a song
  11. board — a committee
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lean — thin
  14. board — to get on
  15. dip — to sink
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lean — to bend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. track — to keep track
  24. squash — to crush

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