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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cap — a hat
  3. present — there
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cap — a lid
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. present — the time now
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. land — ground
  12. present — a gift
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. land — a country
  15. hand — in cards
  16. staff — employees
  17. land — to come down
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cap — of ice
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. staff — a stick
  22. hand — help
  23. craft — boats
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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