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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rule — a law
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. craft — a skill
  11. hand — help
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rock — a stone
  14. toast — bread
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. rock — music
  20. craft — boats
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fan — to cool the air

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