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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mate — to breed
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — child
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. object — to protest
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stand — to bear
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. staff — employees
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. object — an aim
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mate — a partner
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wound — an injury
  22. craft — boats
  23. staff — employees
  24. object — a thing

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