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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. firm — steady
  3. snap — to click
  4. land — a country
  5. firm — a company
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. sharp — clever
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. land — ground
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cap — of ice
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cap — a hat
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. firm — decided
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. land — to come down
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cap — a lid

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