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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. file — a tool
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. file — a document
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. craft — boats
  7. suit — to fit
  8. craft — a skill
  9. suit — in cards
  10. content — the amount
  11. sharp — clever
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rock — a stone
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rock — music
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bowl — a dish

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