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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. degree — from a university
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. degree — temperature
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. degree — an amount
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. sharp — clever
  21. craft — boats
  22. rest — what's left
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bear — the animal

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