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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fine — high quality
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. suit — in cards
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. swing — in golf
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. land — to come down
  12. swing — to play on
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. suit — clothes
  20. swing — music
  21. land — a country
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. land — ground
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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