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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. craft — boats
  14. kick — in football
  15. fork — in a road
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bass — the fish
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bass — low music
  24. wave — with your hand

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