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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. craft — boats
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bass — the fish
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. saw — the tool
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bass — low music
  19. rash — a series
  20. track — a song
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. sharp — exactly

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