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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. chest — of your body
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rash — a series
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bank — for money
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bank — for money
  18. chest — a box
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rock — a stone
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. sharp — clever
  24. dip — a sauce

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