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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. craft — a skill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. present — a gift
  10. sharp — clever
  11. net — after costs
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. craft — boats
  15. present — the time now
  16. mug — to rob
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. wax — to grow
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. present — there
  22. mug — a face
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. nail — for a hammer

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