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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. bank — of a river
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cue — a signal
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bank — for money
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. cue — for pool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cue — a hint
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pit — a hole
  19. spell — magic
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bank — for money
  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