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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. craft — boats
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. game — a match
  9. fine — high quality
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rash — a series
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. snap — to click
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fine — all right
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fork — in a road

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