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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chest — a box
  4. cap — of ice
  5. craft — a skill
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cap — a lid
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. chest — of your body
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cap — a hat
  19. craft — boats
  20. chest — of your body
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. prune — to trim
  24. nail — for a hammer

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