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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 124 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. row — a line
  4. spell — letters
  5. mark — a trace
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. spell — magic
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. fan — a supporter

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