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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. toast — bread
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. craft — a skill
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. chest — of your body
  13. staff — employees
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. staff — employees
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. shower — rain
  22. chest — a box
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. hand — help

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