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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. sharp — clever
  5. scale — in music
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. band — a ring
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bulb — for light
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cell — in biology
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. toast — bread
  24. band — a music group

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