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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. deal — to handle
  4. track — a song
  5. craft — boats
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hand — help
  8. cold — not warm
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. toast — bread
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cold — an illness
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. track — to keep track
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. craft — a skill
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. hand — in cards
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. track — a path
  24. fan — a supporter

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