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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. scale — size or range
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. season — of the year
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. scale — in music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bound — obliged
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bound — certain
  18. bulb — for light
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. face — to confront
  24. craft — boats

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