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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rock — a stone
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. band — a ring
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. craft — boats
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. band — a music group
  10. fork — in a road
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rock — music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. craft — a skill
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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