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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mine — for digging
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. sharp — clever
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. last — final
  20. game — a match
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. track — a song
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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