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

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bank — for money
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bank — of a river
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rock — music
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rock — a stone
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. craft — a skill
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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