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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. foot — a measure
  3. craft — a skill
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. shower — rain
  7. suit — to fit
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. ground — a position
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rush — hurry
  14. craft — boats
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. suit — clothes
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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