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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wake — a trail
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — music
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. craft — boats
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pop — soda
  22. key — in music
  23. sharp — clever
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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