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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. swing — to play on
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. plane — a tool
  8. capital — a city
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. swing — music
  12. sharp — clever
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. craft — boats
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. craft — a skill
  20. capital — money
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rest — what's left
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pass — a permit

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