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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. chip — for betting
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chip — to eat
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. fall — the season

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