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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. present — the time now
  4. track — a path
  5. cue — a hint
  6. chair — a leader
  7. track — a song
  8. present — there
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. file — a line of people
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mate — to breed
  17. present — a gift
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. file — a document
  23. track — to keep track
  24. file — a tool

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