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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. hand — help
  10. rest — what's left
  11. season — in sport
  12. current — electric
  13. rest — a break
  14. season — of the year
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. current — happening now
  19. rest — what's left
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. current — of water
  24. hand — in cards

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