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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. race — a contest
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. race — humankind
  5. roll — a cake
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lean — thin
  11. mate — a partner
  12. key — for a lock
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. key — in music
  15. mate — a friend
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. race — the arms race
  19. roll — a list
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. lean — to bend
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. craft — a skill

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