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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. mark — a grade
  13. tube — a container
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mark — a trace
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. tube — the underground
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. calf — of the leg

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