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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. fall — to drop
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cap — of ice
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fall — the season
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cap — a hat
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fall — to drop
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. hide — to keep secret

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