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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. sharp — clever
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. craft — boats
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. pop — music
  9. can — to be able to
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. can — a tin
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. can — a tin
  15. toast — bread
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pop — soda
  19. last — to go on
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. trunk — of a tree

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