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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. perch — the fish

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