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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. march — the month
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. march — music
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bound — certain
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bank — for money
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bound — tied together
  14. march — the month
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mate — to breed
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bank — for money

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