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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 124 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. field — a subject
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lean — thin
  13. field — farmland
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lean — to bend
  18. field — for sport
  19. sharp — clever
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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