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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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. bay — a part of the sea
  4. face — to point toward
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. face — part of the head
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pass — a permit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. drill — a practice
  13. sharp — clever
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. drill — army training
  18. tube — a container
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. face — to confront
  24. row — a quarrel

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