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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. craft — boats
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bound — certain
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. land — to come down
  9. bound — obliged
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. key — in music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wound — an injury
  24. key — for a lock

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