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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. key — in music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. club — a group
  6. key — the most important part
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. tube — the underground
  9. last — final
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. key — for a lock
  15. last — finally
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. club — for dancing
  19. tube — a container
  20. club — for golf
  21. rock — music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. last — to go on
  24. tube — in a tire

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