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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. land — to come down
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mug — a face
  10. kid — to tease
  11. cold — an illness
  12. land — a country
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kid — child
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. land — ground
  23. cold — not warm
  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