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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cell — in biology
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lean — thin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. scale — size or range
  10. staff — a stick
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rash — a series
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. club — a group
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. craft — boats
  18. staff — employees
  19. club — for golf
  20. craft — a skill
  21. staff — employees
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cell — a phone
  24. sharp — exactly

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