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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pass — a permit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mug — a face
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. craft — boats
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. fall — the season
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rock — to move gently

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