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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: sharp · rock · pitcher · craft · plane · rest · clip · bay

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. clip — for paper
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. craft — a skill
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. craft — boats
  10. rest — a break
  11. rock — music
  12. clip — a video
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rock — a stone
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. clip — to cut
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rock — to move gently

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