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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.

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: sharp · lash · bass · race · drill · craft · object · chip

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. object — a thing
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. race — a contest
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. chip — to eat
  9. object — an aim
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. chip — for betting
  15. race — the arms race
  16. drill — a practice
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. drill — army training
  20. race — humankind
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. drill — the tool
  24. object — to protest

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