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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fork — in a road
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. staff — employees
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. staff — a stick
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. degree — from a university
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. craft — boats
  21. degree — an amount
  22. craft — a skill
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. degree — temperature

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