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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fall — to drop
  3. saw — the tool
  4. craft — boats
  5. fall — the season
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. board — a committee
  12. cap — a lid
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mate — to breed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mate — a friend
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. mate — a partner
  24. craft — a skill

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