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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. swing — to play on
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rest — what's left
  12. deal — to handle
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. swing — music
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rest — a break
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rest — what's left
  22. sharp — clever
  23. dip — to sink
  24. chair — a leader

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