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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. hand — help
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. current — happening now
  5. wound — an injury
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. swing — to play on
  10. hand — in cards
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. vault — a safe
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wound — an injury
  16. swing — music
  17. current — of water
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. sharp — clever
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stem — to come from
  23. current — electric
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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