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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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 — with an edge
  2. tube — a container
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stock — shares
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lean — thin
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stock — goods
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fan — a supporter
  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