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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ground — the earth
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. craft — boats
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. ground — a position
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. game — a match
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. game — wild animals
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. snap — to click
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. ground — crushed
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bay — a horse colour

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