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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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 — with an edge
  2. present — the time now
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. chest — of your body
  5. craft — boats
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. present — there
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. charge — in control
  10. chest — a box
  11. kick — in football
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. chair — a leader
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. present — a gift
  18. charge — a price
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. charge — electricity
  21. sharp — clever
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chair — a professorship
  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