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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mark — a grade
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. can — a tin
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. can — a tin
  12. wind — moving air
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wind — moving air
  17. hand — help
  18. mark — a trace
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — part of the body

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