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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. net — in sport
  3. board — a committee
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. net — after costs
  13. date — the fruit
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. snap — to click
  16. net — for catching
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. board — to get on

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