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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. row — a line
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. row — to paddle
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. foot — a measure
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. prune — to trim
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. sharp — clever
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. prune — to trim

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