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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rest — a break
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rest — what's left
  7. snap — to click
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rule — government
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rest — what's left
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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