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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. chip — for betting
  6. suit — clothes
  7. chip — to eat
  8. tube — a container
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. sharp — clever
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wound — an injury

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