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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 · cabinet · bear · saw · mate · present · kick · club

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. club — for golf
  3. mate — a partner
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mate — to breed
  9. present — the time now
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mate — a friend
  12. saw — the tool
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. club — for dancing
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. sharp — clever
  17. kick — in football
  18. present — there
  19. bear — the animal
  20. club — a group
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. present — a gift
  24. cabinet — ministers

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