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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 124 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. board — a committee
  4. cue — a hint
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rest — what's left
  7. shower — to wash
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rest — a break
  12. roll — a list
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cue — for pool
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. shower — rain
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rest — what's left

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