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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wound — an injury
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. can — a tin
  12. kick — in football
  13. wound — an injury
  14. capital — money
  15. board — to get on
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. capital — a city
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. board — a committee
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. sharp — clever
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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