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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. court — of a king
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. court — for sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. court — of law
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. sharp — clever
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. safe — out of danger

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