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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. spell — letters
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cap — a hat
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fine — all right
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. spell — magic
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cap — a lid
  17. craft — a skill
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. craft — boats
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fine — a penalty

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