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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. craft — boats
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. tube — a container
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. deal — to handle
  20. craft — a skill
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rush — hurry

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