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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. key — in music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. capital — a city
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bulb — for light
  10. staff — employees
  11. face — to confront
  12. capital — money
  13. saw — the tool
  14. face — to point toward
  15. key — for a lock
  16. staff — employees
  17. sharp — clever
  18. key — the most important part
  19. staff — a stick
  20. saw — the tool
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. face — part of the head

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