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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. present — the time now
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lean — thin
  9. mate — a friend
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cold — not warm
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. foot — a measure
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — an illness
  20. present — there
  21. mate — a partner
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. present — a gift
  24. ruler — for measuring

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