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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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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. net — after costs
  4. craft — a skill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. craft — boats
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. net — for catching
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. net — in sport

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