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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chip — to eat
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rock — a stone
  18. hand — help
  19. rock — music
  20. mine — for digging
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mine — belonging to me

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