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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rest — a break
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mark — a grade
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mark — a trace
  10. ground — crushed
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ground — a position
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lie — to recline

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