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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. kid — to tease
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. swing — in golf
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. kid — child
  11. swing — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. shower — to wash
  14. craft — boats
  15. swing — to play on
  16. shower — rain
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rock — music
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rush — to hurry

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