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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cue — a hint
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. club — a group
  8. squash — the sport
  9. row — a line
  10. club — for golf
  11. face — part of the head
  12. row — to paddle
  13. club — for dancing
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. sharp — clever
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cue — a signal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. can — a tin
  22. face — to confront
  23. cue — for pool
  24. face — to point toward

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