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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. sharp — clever
  4. kid — child
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lie — to recline
  8. roll — a list
  9. field — a subject
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. stock — goods
  12. mark — a grade
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. field — farmland
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. field — for sport
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stock — shares
  21. roll — a cake
  22. rest — a break
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mark — to pay attention

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