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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. clip — a video
  5. face — part of the head
  6. sharp — clever
  7. face — to point toward
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mug — to rob
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. clip — to cut
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fine — all right
  18. mug — a face
  19. clip — for paper
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. fine — high quality
  23. face — to confront
  24. hide — to keep secret

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