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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. row — to paddle
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. clip — a video
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — a line
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fine — high quality
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. saw — the tool
  22. suit — to fit
  23. saw — the tool
  24. sharp — with an edge

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