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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. ball — a great time
  8. shower — rain
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rule — government
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ball — a dance
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rock — music
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. saw — the tool
  19. face — to confront
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rule — a law
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bowl — to roll

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