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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stem — to come from
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rush — hurry
  9. snap — to click
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. deal — an agreement

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