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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. present — a gift
  3. face — part of the head
  4. object — a thing
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. face — to confront
  7. object — an aim
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. present — there
  10. current — electric
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. craft — boats
  14. object — to protest
  15. current — happening now
  16. squash — the sport
  17. present — the time now
  18. craft — a skill
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. current — of water
  24. squash — to crush

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