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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 best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cap — a hat
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. cap — a lid
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pit — in a race
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cap — of ice
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pit — a hole
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. sharp — clever
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. branch — a division
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. current — electric
  23. wake — a trail
  24. sharp — exactly

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