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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. craft — boats
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. scale — size or range
  6. craft — a skill
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fall — the season
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stand — to bear
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. scale — in music
  19. snap — to click
  20. fall — to drop
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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