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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mark — a grade
  14. scale — in music
  15. spring — the season
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. suit — to fit
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mark — a trace
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. suit — in cards
  23. scale — for weighing
  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