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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 120 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rush — hurry
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rest — what's left
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. row — to paddle
  13. chair — a leader
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rest — a break
  18. row — a line
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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