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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 120 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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fall — to drop
  3. club — for dancing
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. club — a group
  8. foot — a measure
  9. present — the time now
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. sharp — clever
  12. present — there
  13. club — for golf
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. scale — in music
  18. fall — the season
  19. present — a gift
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. scale — size or range

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