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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. present — the time now
  2. sharp — clever
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — child
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. present — a gift
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rash — hasty
  14. kid — to tease
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. present — there
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rush — a thrill
  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