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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. spring — the season
  9. sharp — clever
  10. season — of the year
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. chip — for betting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. snap — to click
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. craft — a skill
  18. saw — the tool
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. season — in sport
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. spring — of water
  24. chip — to eat

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