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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 116 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. ball — a great time
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. sharp — clever
  7. object — an aim
  8. ball — a dance
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. object — a thing
  11. court — of law
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. shower — rain
  20. object — to protest
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — to wash

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