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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rash — hasty
  4. key — in music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. tear — to rip
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fork — in a road
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bass — low music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rash — a series
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fork — to eat with

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