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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. object — a thing
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. tear — from crying
  12. object — an aim
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. net — after costs
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. craft — a skill
  20. tear — from crying
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. tear — to rip
  24. object — to protest

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