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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cue — a hint
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bank — of a river
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cue — for pool

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