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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. lie — to recline
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. object — to protest
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. march — the month
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. march — the month
  10. can — a tin
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. sharp — clever
  13. object — a thing
  14. can — a tin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. craft — boats
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. object — an aim
  22. can — to be able to
  23. craft — a skill
  24. march — music

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