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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rest — a break
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. staff — employees
  10. craft — boats
  11. rest — what's left
  12. staff — employees
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pop — music
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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