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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. suit — to fit
  3. spring — the season
  4. object — an aim
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. ball — a great time
  10. face — to confront
  11. spring — of water
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. suit — clothes
  15. spring — a coil
  16. ball — a dance
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. object — a thing
  20. season — in sport
  21. object — to protest
  22. suit — in cards
  23. season — of the year
  24. wake — a trail

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