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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rock — a stone
  3. kid — child
  4. stem — to come from
  5. staff — employees
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. staff — employees
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rock — music
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. kid — to tease

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