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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — in music
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spring — of water
  7. scale — size or range
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. spring — a coil
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lean — thin
  16. spring — the season
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. sharp — exactly

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