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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. hand — help
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. deal — to handle
  8. board — to get on
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. hand — in cards
  11. saw — the tool
  12. craft — a skill
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. file — a document
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. board — a committee
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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