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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mug — a face
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. craft — boats
  9. file — a document
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. deal — to handle
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. season — in sport
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. season — of the year
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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