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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 124 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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. craft — a skill
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cell — in biology
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cell — a phone
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hand — in cards
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. object — to protest
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cap — a hat
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. craft — boats
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. hand — help
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cap — a lid
  24. nail — for a hammer

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