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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. craft — a skill
  5. capital — money
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. saw — the tool
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. capital — a city
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rash — a series
  15. saw — the tool
  16. craft — boats
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rash — hasty

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