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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. date — on the calendar
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. tear — to rip
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. date — the fruit
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stock — shares
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — in cards
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stock — goods
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  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