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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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 — clever
  2. spell — a short time
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. current — electric
  6. spell — letters
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. snap — to click
  14. season — in sport
  15. current — of water
  16. season — of the year
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — happening now
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. spell — magic
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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