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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. chip — for betting
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. shower — to wash
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chair — a leader
  12. shower — rain
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. craft — boats
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. chip — to eat
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. drill — army training

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