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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. craft — boats
  4. suit — to fit
  5. craft — a skill
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. land — a country
  13. scale — size or range
  14. suit — in cards
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. land — to come down
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. scale — in music
  19. suit — clothes
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wind — moving air
  22. land — ground
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wind — moving air

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