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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. sharp — clever
  11. club — for golf
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bear — the animal
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lie — to recline
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. club — a group
  19. bear — the animal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lean — thin
  22. ground — crushed
  23. drill — army training
  24. lie — an untruth

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