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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. sharp — clever
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. season — of the year
  7. band — a ring
  8. fine — all right
  9. hand — help
  10. season — in sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. suit — in cards
  13. hand — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. kick — in football
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. suit — to fit
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. band — a music group
  24. sharp — exactly

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