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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. staff — employees
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. staff — employees
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. fork — in a road

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