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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. foot — a measure
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pass — a permit
  10. row — to paddle
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. row — a line
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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