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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rock — music
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cap — a hat
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bear — the animal
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mark — a grade
  15. swing — to play on
  16. rock — a stone
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cap — a lid
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. swing — music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rock — to move gently

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