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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. charge — in control
  3. last — final
  4. last — to go on
  5. vault — a safe
  6. ground — crushed
  7. sharp — clever
  8. degree — from a university
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. last — finally
  15. degree — temperature
  16. ground — a position
  17. degree — an amount
  18. lean — thin
  19. can — a tin
  20. charge — a price
  21. ground — the earth
  22. charge — electricity
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. can — to be able to

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