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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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. deal — to handle
  7. key — in music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. sharp — clever
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rash — a series
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. dip — to sink
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. key — the most important part
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mine — for digging
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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