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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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Word bank
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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: sharp · dip · rule · lean · foot · rash · pop · key

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. key — for a lock
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pop — soda
  9. dip — to sink
  10. sharp — clever
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rash — hasty
  13. key — in music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. key — the most important part
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pop — music
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rule — a law
  23. rash — a series
  24. foot — a measure

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