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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. spell — letters
  4. craft — boats
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. hand — in cards
  10. club — for dancing
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. club — for golf
  13. kick — in football
  14. wound — an injury
  15. spell — a short time
  16. club — a group
  17. rule — government
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. spell — magic
  20. rule — a law
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. craft — a skill
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wound — an injury

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