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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. rule — government
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — a stone
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rule — a law
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. firm — a company
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. firm — decided
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rock — music
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. firm — steady
  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