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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chip — to eat
  5. drill — the tool
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. saw — the tool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. saw — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. chip — for betting
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. band — a music group
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. band — a ring
  21. craft — boats
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. sharp — clever

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