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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. can — to be able to
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. can — a tin
  11. root — of a word
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. dip — to sink
  14. root — the cause
  15. ball — a great time
  16. can — a tin
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. root — of a plant
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wax — to grow
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ball — a dance
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. craft — a skill

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