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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fall — to drop
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. march — the month
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rock — a stone
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. game — a match
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. craft — a skill
  15. hand — help
  16. march — music
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. march — the month
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rock — music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. craft — boats

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