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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. staff — employees
  12. bank — for money
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bank — of a river
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. dip — to sink
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. ruler — for measuring

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