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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 124 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. file — a line of people
  4. hand — in cards
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. hand — help
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. face — part of the head
  10. file — a document
  11. deal — to handle
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. file — a tool
  14. face — to confront
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. face — to point toward
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. sharp — clever
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bowl — a football final

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