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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. clip — to cut
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fine — all right
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. clip — for paper
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cell — a phone
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. clip — a video
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fine — high quality
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fine — a penalty

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