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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. craft — a skill
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. staff — a stick
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. present — the time now
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. craft — boats
  24. sharp — clever

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