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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. spring — a coil
  5. tube — the underground
  6. object — an aim
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. tube — a container
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. spring — of water
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. sharp — clever
  16. object — a thing
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. object — to protest
  19. bark — to shout
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. spring — the season
  24. leaves — to go away

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