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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. race — the arms race
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cap — a lid
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — a contest

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