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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mate — a friend
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. sharp — clever
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cabinet — ministers

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