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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. toast — bread
  10. sharp — clever
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chip — for betting
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. chip — to eat
  20. hand — in cards
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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