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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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. charge — in control
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. content — the amount
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. charge — a price
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mine — for digging
  17. content — happy
  18. charge — electricity
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wake — a trail

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