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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. net — after costs
  8. staff — employees
  9. bound — obliged
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. net — for catching
  12. bound — tied together
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bound — certain
  15. sharp — clever
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. net — in sport
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. staff — a stick
  21. deal — to handle
  22. staff — employees
  23. snap — to click
  24. leaves — lets stay

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