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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. last — finally
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cap — a hat
  7. lie — to recline
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cap — a lid
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pound — a weight
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. cap — of ice
  20. march — music
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pound — for dogs

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