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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. content — the amount
  3. board — a committee
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rush — hurry
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — not warm
  18. board — to get on
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. content — happy
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. sharp — clever

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