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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rule — a law
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. club — a group
  6. squash — to crush
  7. sharp — clever
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. club — for golf
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bulb — for light
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rule — government
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. club — for dancing

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