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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 124 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. spell — magic
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pit — in a race
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. spell — letters
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. season — of the year
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. season — in sport
  22. sharp — clever
  23. spell — a short time
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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