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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bear — the animal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. kick — in football
  14. deal — to handle
  15. prune — to trim
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. calf — a young animal

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