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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. kid — to tease
  4. fine — all right
  5. kid — child
  6. lean — to bend
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. sharp — clever
  24. prune — to trim

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