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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. hand — in cards
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rush — hurry
  16. sharp — clever
  17. scale — in music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. snap — to click
  21. scale — size or range
  22. hand — help
  23. lie — to recline
  24. leaves — to go away

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