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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. kick — in football
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hand — in cards
  10. sharp — clever
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. clip — for paper
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. clip — to cut
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. hand — help
  21. fine — all right
  22. clip — a video
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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