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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. staff — employees
  7. craft — boats
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. dip — to sink
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. staff — employees
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. staff — a stick

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