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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. chest — of your body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mark — a trace
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. craft — boats
  8. chip — for betting
  9. perch — the fish
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mark — a grade
  12. land — a country
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. land — to come down
  18. chest — of your body
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. craft — a skill
  21. chest — a box
  22. land — ground
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. chip — to eat

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