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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. sharp — clever
  7. board — a committee
  8. rock — a stone
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. saw — the tool
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. craft — boats
  18. board — to get on
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. perch — the fish
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rest — what's left
  24. saw — the tool

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