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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. toast — bread
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bore — to drill
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. roll — a cake
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. sharp — clever
  17. roll — a list
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. suit — to fit
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. suit — clothes
  24. sharp — exactly

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