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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. craft — boats
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. craft — a skill
  8. hand — in cards
  9. present — there
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. present — a gift
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. hand — help
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. present — the time now
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — the animal

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