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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 116 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bank — of a river
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bank — for money
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pass — a permit
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bank — for money
  20. ground — a position
  21. land — to come down
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in biology

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