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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. staff — employees
  3. track — a path
  4. mate — a friend
  5. craft — boats
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. staff — employees
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mark — a trace
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. track — a song
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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