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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. track — a path
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. present — there
  5. can — a tin
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. can — a tin
  10. root — of a word
  11. hand — in cards
  12. present — a gift
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. track — to keep track
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. present — the time now
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. track — a song
  21. can — to be able to
  22. hand — help
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ruler — a monarch

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