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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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468
Word bank
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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. craft — boats
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wound — an injury
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. row — a line
  10. pit — a hole
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. row — to paddle
  13. craft — a skill
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. row — a quarrel

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