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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.

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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ball — a great time
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tear — to rip
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. ball — a dance
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. hide — animal skin

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