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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spring — the season
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spring — a coil
  12. staff — employees
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. staff — employees
  23. wax — to grow
  24. spring — of water

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