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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cold — an illness
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pass — a permit
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cold — not warm
  12. key — for a lock
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rock — music
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. object — an aim
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. prune — to trim
  23. key — in music
  24. prune — to trim

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