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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 120 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. perch — the fish
  4. craft — boats
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lean — to bend
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hand — help
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hand — in cards
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lean — thin
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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