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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: cabinet · mug · sharp · cold · nail · arm · chip · craft

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mug — a face
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chip — for betting
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. craft — boats
  16. mug — to rob
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cold — an illness
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cold — not warm
  23. chip — to eat
  24. arm — part of the body

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