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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. sharp — clever
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pitch — completely
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mark — a trace
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mark — a grade
  14. ball — a great time
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. leaves — to go away

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