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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stock — shares
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stock — goods
  5. craft — boats
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rash — a series
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. kid — child
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bear — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. kid — to tease
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. craft — a skill
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bear — the animal

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