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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ground — a position
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. ground — crushed
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bulb — for light
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. snap — to click
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wave — of the sea

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