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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rock — music
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. craft — boats
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rash — a series
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wound — an injury
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rock — a stone

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