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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. track — a song
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bear — the animal
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. rule — government
  10. rock — a stone
  11. track — to keep track
  12. object — a thing
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rock — music
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fall — the season
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rule — a law
  23. track — a path
  24. rule — to rule out

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