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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 124 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. craft — a skill
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. date — the fruit
  8. shower — rain
  9. rock — a stone
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. shower — to wash
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rock — music
  19. craft — boats
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. arm — a part of something

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