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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wind — moving air
  3. content — happy
  4. staff — a stick
  5. suit — in cards
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. march — the month
  10. wind — moving air
  11. march — the month
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. sharp — clever
  14. staff — employees
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. suit — to fit
  18. march — music
  19. suit — clothes
  20. staff — employees
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. content — the amount
  24. cabinet — ministers

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