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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · swing · wake · toast · sharp · lie · cold · pass

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. toast — bread
  7. sharp — clever
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wake — a trail
  11. swing — music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pass — a permit
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. swing — in golf

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