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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. track — a path
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. object — an aim
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wake — a trail
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. dip — to sink
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cap — a lid
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cap — of ice
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cap — a hat
  20. craft — boats
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. track — a song
  23. object — to protest
  24. track — to keep track

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