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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lean — thin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lean — to bend
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rash — a series
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pound — a weight
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cap — a hat

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