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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · sharp · ball · game · lash · fork · kid · craft

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. craft — a skill
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. kid — to tease
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. sharp — clever
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ball — a great time
  12. game — wild animals
  13. kid — child
  14. craft — boats
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. object — to protest
  20. ball — a dance
  21. game — a match
  22. object — an aim
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fork — in a road

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