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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ground — a position
  6. shower — rain
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fine — all right
  9. shower — to wash
  10. charge — a price
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fine — high quality
  20. charge — electricity
  21. ground — crushed
  22. charge — in control
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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