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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pitch — completely
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. craft — boats
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. shower — rain
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spell — letters
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wound — an injury
  16. spell — magic
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. shower — to wash
  23. spell — a short time
  24. hide — to keep secret

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