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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 knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. kick — in football
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. swing — to play on
  10. clip — a video
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. swing — in golf
  19. root — of a word
  20. clip — for paper
  21. sharp — clever
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. swing — music
  24. kick — with a leg

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