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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. march — the month
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cap — of ice
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bank — of a river
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. march — the month
  12. kick — in football
  13. bank — for money
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bank — for money
  16. march — music
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. chair — a leader
  20. craft — boats
  21. sharp — clever
  22. row — to paddle
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. craft — a skill

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