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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. object — an aim
  3. craft — boats
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. capital — a city
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mine — for digging
  13. shower — to wash
  14. object — a thing
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. capital — money
  17. object — to protest
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. craft — a skill
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. shower — rain
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. toast — bread
  24. fan — to cool the air

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