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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
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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: bulb · craft · fine · can · mouse · sharp · wind · kid

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. craft — boats
  3. kid — child
  4. bulb — for light
  5. can — a tin
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. can — a tin
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. sharp — clever
  13. kid — to tease
  14. can — to be able to
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wind — moving air

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