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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · can · rock · row · sharp · craft · file · snap

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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. row — to paddle
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. can — to be able to
  6. file — a line of people
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. can — a tin
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. can — a tin
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. rock — a stone
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rock — music
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. row — a line
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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