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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. march — music
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. capital — a city
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bank — for money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. march — the month
  21. mate — a friend
  22. capital — money
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. march — the month

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