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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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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. firm — a company
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. craft — boats
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. ground — the earth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. tear — from crying
  11. kick — in football
  12. ground — a position
  13. firm — decided
  14. roll — a list
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. roll — a cake
  18. tear — to rip
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. firm — steady

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