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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cue — a hint
  4. march — music
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pop — soda
  10. march — the month
  11. cue — for pool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pop — music
  17. march — the month
  18. lie — to recline
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pass — to succeed

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