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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. sharp — clever
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. craft — boats
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wound — an injury
  8. present — there
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. clip — for paper
  11. spring — of water
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. clip — a video
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. present — a gift
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. craft — a skill
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. spring — the season
  24. clip — to cut

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