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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. craft — a skill
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rush — hurry
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rock — music
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. degree — an amount
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rash — a series
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. shower — rain
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rash — hasty
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. craft — boats

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