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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pit — a hole
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. sharp — clever
  6. spring — of water
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pit — in a race
  9. club — a group
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. spring — the season
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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