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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. cell — a phone
  3. fall — the season
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  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