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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bear — the animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mate — a partner
  6. shower — to wash
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. sharp — clever
  10. spell — letters
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bear — the animal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. spell — magic
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. mate — to breed
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mate — a friend
  22. craft — a skill
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. craft — boats

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