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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. craft — boats
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. roll — a list
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rock — music
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pop — music
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. staff — employees
  19. pop — to visit
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pop — soda
  22. rock — a stone
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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