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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. craft — a skill
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mate — a friend
  6. craft — boats
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. club — for dancing
  17. tube — a container
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. tube — the underground

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