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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: wake · stick · craft · lean · chip · wound · sharp · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. craft — a skill
  3. ball — a dance
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wake — a trail
  7. craft — boats
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lean — thin
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wound — an injury
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wound — an injury

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