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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. sharp — clever
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rest — what's left
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rest — a break
  8. cap — of ice
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. spell — letters
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cap — a hat
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cap — a lid
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. spell — magic
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pass — to spend time

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