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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. craft — boats
  3. season — of the year
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. season — in sport
  9. deal — to handle
  10. file — a line of people
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. file — a tool
  20. hand — help
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. craft — a skill
  24. file — a document

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