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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. last — finally
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. last — final
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ground — a position
  14. net — after costs
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. last — to go on
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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