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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. season — of the year
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wake — a trail
  7. season — in sport
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. capital — money
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. capital — a city
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. nail — for a hammer

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