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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. spring — a coil
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rash — hasty
  9. spring — of water
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mug — to rob
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. date — the fruit
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rash — a series
  16. mug — a face
  17. spring — the season
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mug — a cup
  23. firm — decided
  24. date — on the calendar

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