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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: snap · wound · sharp · craft · scale · wake · hand · key

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. scale — size or range
  3. sharp — clever
  4. scale — in music
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. craft — boats
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. hand — help
  21. craft — a skill
  22. key — for a lock
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. key — in music

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