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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lie — to recline
  6. game — a match
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chip — for betting
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chip — to eat
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. foot — a measure
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mark — a grade

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