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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bulb — for light
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bank — of a river
  6. tear — to rip
  7. suit — to fit
  8. can — a tin
  9. suit — in cards
  10. craft — a skill
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. tear — from crying
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bulb — for light
  16. squash — to crush
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. tear — from crying
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bank — for money
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bank — for money
  23. can — a tin
  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