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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. suit — in cards
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. band — a music group
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. suit — clothes
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. band — a ring
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. season — in sport
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. suit — to fit
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. season — of the year
  24. bat — the animal

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