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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. kick — in football
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. drill — a practice
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. craft — a skill
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. craft — boats
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. drill — army training
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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