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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. hand — in cards
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bear — the animal
  6. craft — boats
  7. row — a line
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cue — a hint
  14. saw — the tool
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. saw — the tool
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. row — to paddle
  22. cue — a signal
  23. hand — help
  24. craft — a skill

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