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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rock — music
  3. chair — a leader
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mug — to rob
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. net — for catching
  11. mug — a face
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. net — in sport
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. craft — boats
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mug — a cup
  23. net — after costs
  24. bore — gave birth

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