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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: chest · chair · sharp · mouse · pop · nail · bowl · craft

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. craft — boats
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. chair — a leader
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pop — music
  24. chest — of your 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