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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. spell — letters
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. hand — help
  19. spell — magic
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  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