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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. net — in sport
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. sharp — clever
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. net — for catching
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pass — a permit
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. saw — the tool
  23. net — after costs
  24. temple — side of the head

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