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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. field — farmland
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. last — finally
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. last — to go on
  15. swing — music
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. field — for sport
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. last — final
  23. bulb — for light
  24. field — a subject

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