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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — clever
  3. present — the time now
  4. staff — employees
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ground — a position
  7. mark — a trace
  8. staff — employees
  9. ground — crushed
  10. can — a tin
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. present — a gift
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. ground — the earth
  15. staff — a stick
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. present — there
  19. mark — a grade
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. can — to be able to

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