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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rock — a stone
  3. staff — a stick
  4. tear — to rip
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mate — a partner
  9. dip — to sink
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rock — music
  12. craft — boats
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. staff — employees
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. staff — employees
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. mate — to breed
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mate — a friend

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