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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. charge — a price
  4. spell — letters
  5. lean — thin
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spell — a short time
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. charge — in control
  16. lean — to bend
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. sharp — clever
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spell — magic
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. charge — electricity
  24. mark — a trace

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