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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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. board — a committee
  4. present — there
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rock — music
  8. present — the time now
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cue — a hint
  13. board — to get on
  14. sharp — clever
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. shower — rain
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rock — a stone
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. present — a gift
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rock — to move gently

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