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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. craft — boats
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rush — hurry
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wound — an injury
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wound — an injury
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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