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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 120 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mate — a friend
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mate — to breed
  9. charge — in control
  10. clip — to cut
  11. sharp — clever
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ball — a dance
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. charge — a price
  16. mate — a partner
  17. clip — a video
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. charge — electricity
  24. ball — a great time

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