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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. can — a tin
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. game — a match
  9. can — to be able to
  10. game — wild animals
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. sharp — clever
  14. spell — a short time
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. craft — a skill
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. can — a tin

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