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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. craft — boats
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fall — to drop
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fall — to drop
  11. last — final
  12. can — to be able to
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. degree — from a university
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. degree — temperature
  18. can — a tin
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. degree — an amount
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — a tin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. craft — a skill

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