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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. file — a tool
  3. last — final
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. craft — a skill
  6. last — to go on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. season — of the year
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. craft — boats
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. season — in sport
  16. dip — to sink
  17. file — a line of people
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. last — finally
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. file — a document
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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