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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. kick — in football
  4. current — electric
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bulb — for light
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ball — a dance
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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