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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 116 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cell — in biology
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. club — for golf
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. club — for dancing
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. craft — boats
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. club — a group
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ruler — a monarch

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