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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pop — music
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mark — a grade
  7. sharp — clever
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. kick — in football
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spell — magic
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pop — soda
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lean — thin
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lean — to bend
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mark — a trace

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