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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bear — the animal
  4. can — to be able to
  5. scale — in music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lean — thin
  8. object — an aim
  9. last — finally
  10. craft — boats
  11. object — to protest
  12. last — final
  13. bear — the animal
  14. scale — size or range
  15. can — a tin
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. last — to go on
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lean — to bend
  21. object — a thing
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. can — a tin

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