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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pass — a permit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. shower — rain
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. shower — to wash
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hand — help

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