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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. root — of a word
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. sharp — clever
  11. squash — to crush
  12. root — of a plant
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. root — the cause
  22. face — to confront
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. face — part of the head

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