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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: rule · spring · craft · season · mark · arm · wake · sharp

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rule — government
  5. craft — boats
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. craft — a skill
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. season — of the year
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mark — a trace
  16. spring — of water
  17. season — in sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. wake — a trail
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. spring — the season
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. arm — part of the body

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