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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fall — the season
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stand — to bear
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. craft — boats
  24. deal — to handle

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