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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. present — the time now
  3. object — an aim
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. present — a gift
  7. bear — the animal
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. object — to protest
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. object — a thing
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. march — music
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. present — there
  23. bear — the animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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