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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. craft — a skill
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. craft — boats
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — thin
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. squash — the sport
  14. sharp — clever
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lean — to bend
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. roll — a list
  21. squash — to crush
  22. object — a thing
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. straw — dry grass

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