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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mate — a friend
  3. staff — employees
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. staff — employees
  6. firm — steady
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bore — to tire
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mate — a partner
  11. clip — for paper
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bore — to drill
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. firm — decided
  18. toast — bread
  19. mate — to breed
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. firm — a company
  22. clip — a video
  23. sharp — clever
  24. clip — to cut

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