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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. net — for catching
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. bound — certain
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bound — obliged
  22. net — in sport
  23. lean — thin
  24. net — after costs

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