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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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cap — of ice
  5. spell — a short time
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ball — a great time
  11. can — a tin
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wound — an injury
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pound — a weight
  17. kick — in football
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pound — for dogs

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