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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. craft — boats
  3. ball — a great time
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wind — moving air
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bat — the animal
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. sharp — clever
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wind — moving air
  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