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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. spring — the season
  6. pop — to visit
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pop — music
  12. wind — moving air
  13. craft — boats
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. craft — a skill
  17. spring — of water
  18. stock — shares
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stock — goods
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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