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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hand — help
  6. bass — the fish
  7. craft — boats
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rule — a law
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bass — low music
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rule — government
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. craft — a skill

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