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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bear — the animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rest — a break
  6. mate — a friend
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mate — to breed
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. craft — a skill
  12. land — to come down
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. craft — boats
  16. land — ground
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hand — help
  21. land — a country
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mate — a partner

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