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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. craft — boats
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. deal — to handle
  5. craft — a skill
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. last — to go on
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mug — a face
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mug — a cup
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wake — a trail
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mug — to rob
  24. hide — animal skin

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