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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pop — to visit
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. current — happening now
  6. content — happy
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. file — a document
  11. current — electric
  12. pop — music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. file — a line of people
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. current — of water
  20. file — a tool
  21. content — the amount
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pop — soda
  24. bay — a horse colour

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