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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. present — there
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mug — a face
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bass — low music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. present — a gift
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mug — to rob
  13. present — the time now
  14. mark — a trace
  15. craft — a skill
  16. face — to confront
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. bass — the fish

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