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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. swing — to play on
  5. craft — boats
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. chest — of your body
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. craft — a skill
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hand — help
  16. rule — a law
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rule — government
  24. swing — music

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