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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. saw — the tool
  5. suit — in cards
  6. saw — the tool
  7. craft — a skill
  8. land — a country
  9. present — a gift
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. present — there
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. present — the time now
  21. craft — boats
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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