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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. date — the fruit
  3. lean — thin
  4. band — a ring
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. craft — a skill
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. craft — boats

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