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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rest — what's left
  6. scale — in music
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rest — what's left
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mug — a face
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mug — a cup
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rest — a break
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mug — to rob
  21. snap — to click
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bear — the animal

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