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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rest — what's left
  4. race — the arms race
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. race — a contest
  8. craft — a skill
  9. sharp — clever
  10. race — humankind
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. craft — boats
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rest — a break
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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