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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 116 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: last · wind · saw · pop · sharp · craft · bay · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. last — final
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wind — moving air
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. sharp — clever
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pop — music
  15. craft — boats
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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