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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. sharp — clever
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wound — an injury
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. craft — boats
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. chip — to eat
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. craft — a skill
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bear — the animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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