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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. craft — boats
  6. last — to go on
  7. prune — to trim
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. last — finally
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. craft — a skill
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. can — a tin
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wind — moving air
  20. last — final
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. can — a tin
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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