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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. craft — a skill
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lie — to recline
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. perch — the fish
  11. game — a match
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mark — a grade
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. craft — boats
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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