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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. tube — the underground
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. pop — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rule — government
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pop — to visit
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pop — soda
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rule — a law
  24. stand — on your feet

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