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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. clip — to cut
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. clip — a video
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rock — music

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