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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. can — a tin
  5. row — a line
  6. can — to be able to
  7. net — in sport
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. current — electric
  11. net — after costs
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. spring — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. can — a tin
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. spring — the season
  18. current — of water
  19. mine — for digging
  20. row — to paddle
  21. sharp — clever
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. net — for catching

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