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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bear — the animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. net — in sport
  7. can — to be able to
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wound — an injury
  10. can — a tin
  11. net — for catching
  12. chip — to eat
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. dip — to sink
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. net — after costs
  23. craft — boats
  24. bear — to put up with

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