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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. present — the time now
  7. cap — a hat
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cap — a lid
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. present — there
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wound — an injury
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. sharp — clever
  22. present — a gift
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pit — a hole

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