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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mug — to rob
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mug — a face
  7. craft — boats
  8. wind — moving air
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. drill — a practice
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. craft — a skill
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wind — moving air
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wake — a trail
  19. drill — army training
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. sharp — clever
  23. face — to confront
  24. mug — a cup

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