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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lean — thin
  3. chip — for betting
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bat — the animal
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. march — the month
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. object — a thing
  13. dip — to sink
  14. lean — to bend
  15. craft — boats
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. object — to protest
  18. shower — rain
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. object — an aim
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. march — music

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