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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. sharp — clever
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. sharp — exactly

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