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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. fine — all right
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. can — a tin
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. season — in sport
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. race — the arms race
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. race — a contest
  15. can — a tin
  16. season — of the year
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. perch — the fish
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. can — to be able to
  21. race — humankind
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fine — a penalty

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