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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. staff — employees
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. staff — employees
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bore — to drill
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. staff — a stick
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. perch — the fish
  17. fine — all right
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ball — a dance
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bore — to 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