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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. charge — a price
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. hand — help
  5. key — in music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. net — for catching
  10. key — the most important part
  11. charge — in control
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rush — hurry
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. key — for a lock
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. net — after costs
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. dip — to sink
  20. hand — in cards
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. charge — electricity
  23. net — in sport
  24. deal — an agreement

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