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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. chest — a box
  3. rock — music
  4. pit — a hole
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rash — a series
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fine — all right
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rock — a stone
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. craft — boats
  21. cap — of ice
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. craft — a handicraft

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