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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cell — in biology
  3. track — a path
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. sharp — clever
  7. craft — boats
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. swing — in golf
  20. craft — a skill
  21. swing — to play on
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. swing — music
  24. stand — to bear

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