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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. present — the time now
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. sharp — clever
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. last — final
  17. cue — a hint
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. dip — to sink
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. last — finally
  23. bear — the animal
  24. last — to go on

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