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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. sharp — clever
  4. shower — rain
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. shower — to wash
  15. face — to confront
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rest — a break
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mouse — the animal

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