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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bank — for money
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. sharp — clever
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bank — of a river
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. stock — goods
  13. can — a tin
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bank — for money
  16. rush — hurry
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. can — a tin
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. craft — boats
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stock — shares
  24. mine — for digging

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