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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. face — to point toward
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. deal — to handle
  5. craft — boats
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. club — for dancing
  10. face — to confront
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. face — part of the head
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. club — a group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. craft — a skill
  24. club — for golf

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