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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pop — music
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. key — in music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pop — to visit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lie — to recline
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bank — for money
  17. hand — help
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bank — for money
  20. pop — soda
  21. key — for a lock
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. key — the most important part
  24. sharp — clever

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