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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pitch — completely
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. tear — to rip
  6. craft — boats
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. hand — in cards
  11. present — a gift
  12. hand — help
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. present — there
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. tear — from crying
  19. present — the time now
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. toast — bread
  24. craft — a skill

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