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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mug — a cup
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lean — thin
  5. rash — a series
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chair — a leader
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mug — a face
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. lean — to bend
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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