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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spring — of water
  11. cap — a hat
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rest — a break
  20. cap — of ice
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. spring — the season
  24. pitcher — a jug

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