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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spring — of water
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rest — a break
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. spring — a coil
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. spring — the season
  15. rash — a series
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pass — a permit
  18. hand — help
  19. craft — boats
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mouse — the animal

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