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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — an aim
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. drill — army training
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bear — the animal
  13. object — a thing
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. craft — boats
  17. drill — a practice
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. drill — the tool
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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