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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. content — happy
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mark — a grade
  5. scale — in music
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. rash — a series
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rest — what's left
  19. object — to protest
  20. mark — a trace
  21. content — the amount
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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