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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. dip — to sink
  3. file — a line of people
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. sharp — clever
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. swing — music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. can — to be able to
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. file — a tool
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. swing — in golf
  21. wound — an injury
  22. net — in sport
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. file — a document

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