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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bank — of a river
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mug — a face
  5. rock — music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bark — to shout
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bank — for money
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. toast — bread
  15. mug — a cup
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bank — for money
  20. cell — a phone
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. trunk — of a tree

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