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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — for catching
  5. spring — of water
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. spring — the season
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. kid — child
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. craft — boats
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. net — after costs
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. chair — a leader
  20. sharp — clever
  21. craft — a skill
  22. net — in sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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