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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — in control
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bank — of a river
  8. field — a subject
  9. bound — certain
  10. hand — in cards
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bank — for money
  13. field — farmland
  14. charge — electricity
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. field — for sport
  17. charge — a price
  18. hand — help
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bank — for money
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bulb — for light
  24. sharp — clever

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