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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. rest — a break
  3. craft — a skill
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bass — low music
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rest — what's left
  9. face — part of the head
  10. sharp — clever
  11. face — to confront
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. present — there
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rest — what's left
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. face — to point toward
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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