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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. file — a document
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chip — to eat
  6. craft — boats
  7. staff — employees
  8. file — a line of people
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. can — a tin
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. can — to be able to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. staff — a stick
  21. can — a tin
  22. file — a tool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. staff — employees

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