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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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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: pass · craft · kick · sharp · rule · stick · bat · rest

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rule — government
  3. rest — what's left
  4. craft — a skill
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rest — a break
  10. rule — a law
  11. craft — boats
  12. kick — in football
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rest — what's left
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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