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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. craft — boats
  4. sharp — clever
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mate — a friend
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mate — to breed
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mine — for digging
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mate — a partner
  23. craft — a skill
  24. face — to confront

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