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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. craft — boats
  4. bore — to drill
  5. spell — letters
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wake — a trail
  10. spell — magic
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. spell — a short time
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bore — to tire
  18. net — after costs
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. net — for catching
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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