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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. kick — in football
  5. craft — boats
  6. can — a tin
  7. craft — a skill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. can — a tin
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. coach — a trainer

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