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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 120 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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stock — goods
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. hand — help
  10. bound — certain
  11. stock — shares
  12. rash — a series
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. craft — boats
  15. rash — hasty
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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