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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bass — low music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rock — music
  15. rest — what's left
  16. dip — to sink
  17. craft — boats
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rest — what's left
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rest — a break
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. saw — the tool

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