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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lean — thin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. firm — steady
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — a company
  15. craft — a skill
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rest — a break
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. firm — decided
  24. tear — to rip

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