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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. kick — in football
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pop — soda
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pop — to visit
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pop — music
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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