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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. hand — in cards
  8. key — the most important part
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. key — for a lock
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. key — in music
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pit — a hole
  24. sharp — clever

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