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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cold — not warm
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. shower — rain
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. shower — to wash
  10. craft — a skill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cold — an illness
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. saw — the tool
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cue — for pool
  21. craft — boats
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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