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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. shower — to wash
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. craft — boats
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. press — to push
  11. ball — a dance
  12. press — a publisher
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. press — newspapers
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. craft — a skill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ball — a great time
  24. deal — to handle

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