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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: content · craft · mug · rush · sharp · snap · ball · object

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. craft — a skill
  3. object — to protest
  4. mug — to rob
  5. object — an aim
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. content — happy
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. content — the amount
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mug — a cup
  13. ball — a great time
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ball — a dance
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. object — a thing
  20. craft — boats
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. snap — to click
  23. mug — a face
  24. content — videos and posts

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