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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. object — a thing
  3. sharp — clever
  4. kick — in football
  5. mug — a cup
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. object — to protest
  8. clip — for paper
  9. fine — all right
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. clip — a video
  20. object — an aim
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. clip — to cut
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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