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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. row — a line
  6. rest — what's left
  7. date — the fruit
  8. row — to paddle
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. foot — a measure
  13. branch — a division
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. craft — boats
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. foot — part of the body

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