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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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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: craft · present · sharp · cell · nail · wave · dip · last

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. present — there
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. last — finally
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cell — in biology
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cell — a phone
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  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