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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lean — thin
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. sharp — clever
  12. can — a tin
  13. court — of a king
  14. cold — an illness
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cold — not warm
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mate — a friend
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. can — a tin
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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