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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. season — of the year
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. craft — boats
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. drill — a practice
  8. swing — music
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mug — a face
  11. craft — a skill
  12. season — in sport
  13. swing — to play on
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mug — a cup
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mug — to rob
  18. swing — in golf
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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