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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. object — an aim
  9. rest — a break
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. object — to protest
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. fork — in a road
  16. swing — music
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. swing — in golf
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. object — a thing
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  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