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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mark — a trace
  4. net — after costs
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. craft — boats
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. craft — a skill
  15. net — in sport
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pit — a hole
  19. snap — to click
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mark — a grade
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pit — in a race
  24. net — for catching

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