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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. row — a line
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rest — what's left
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. sharp — clever
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. squash — to crush
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. deal — to handle
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. squash — the sport
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. row — to paddle

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