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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wind — moving air
  3. can — a tin
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cue — a hint
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. charge — a price
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lean — thin
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rock — music
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fan — a supporter

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