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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. game — a match
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rock — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rock — a stone
  13. game — wild animals
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fall — to drop
  16. craft — boats
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. racket — for tennis

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