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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It's one 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. board — a committee
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. degree — from a university
  6. sharp — clever
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. degree — an amount
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. degree — temperature
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lean — thin
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. sharp — exactly

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