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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. firm — steady
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. sharp — clever
  9. land — ground
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. firm — decided
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. firm — a company
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. land — a country
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. land — to come down

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