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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. toast — bread
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wound — an injury
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. date — the fruit
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. court — for sport
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. court — of law
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. snap — to click
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. court — of a king
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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