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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.

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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: present · deal · saw · sharp · fall · craft · lash · bat

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. present — there
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — the animal
  7. craft — a skill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. sharp — clever
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. present — a gift
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fall — the season
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. present — the time now
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. deal — an agreement

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