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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rash — hasty
  10. ground — a position
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. chest — a box
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rash — a series
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mine — belonging to me

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