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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. prune — to trim
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. net — after costs
  7. toast — bread
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. net — for catching
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. hand — help
  13. mate — a partner
  14. craft — boats
  15. net — in sport
  16. mate — to breed
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mate — a friend
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chest — of your body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hand — in cards

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