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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. can — a tin
  3. spell — a short time
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. can — a tin
  11. tear — to rip
  12. craft — boats
  13. scale — in music
  14. spell — letters
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. scale — size or range
  18. spell — magic
  19. craft — a skill
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. can — to be able to
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fine — all right
  24. tear — from crying

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