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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. craft — boats
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. craft — a skill
  8. march — the month
  9. tear — to rip
  10. hand — help
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. march — the month
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. tear — from crying
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. plane — a tool
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. tear — from crying
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. march — music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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