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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. chip — to eat
  4. key — for a lock
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lean — thin
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lean — to bend
  12. tear — from crying
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. kick — in football
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. key — in music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chip — for betting
  23. key — the most important part
  24. sharp — with an edge

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