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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stock — goods
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mate — a partner
  5. saw — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fall — the season
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. drill — army training
  11. stock — shares
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mate — a friend
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mate — to breed
  24. saw — the tool

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