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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bass — low music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wound — an injury
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. board — to get on
  19. craft — boats
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wound — an injury
  22. board — a committee
  23. craft — a skill
  24. foot — a measure

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