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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — steady
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. row — a line
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rash — a series
  13. firm — decided
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. sharp — clever
  17. firm — a company
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rash — hasty

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