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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. sharp — clever
  3. craft — boats
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cap — of ice
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cap — a lid
  15. craft — a skill
  16. staff — employees
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cap — a hat
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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