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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bear — the animal
  6. land — ground
  7. bear — the animal
  8. land — to come down
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. craft — a skill
  14. land — a country
  15. craft — boats
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wake — a trail
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cabinet — ministers

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