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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. staff — employees
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mate — to breed
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. staff — employees
  18. lie — to recline
  19. board — to get on
  20. mate — a friend
  21. staff — a stick
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. board — a committee
  24. snap — to click

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