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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ball — a great time
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. face — to point toward
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. craft — boats
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a dance
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. key — in music
  23. wound — an injury
  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