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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 120 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. kid — to tease
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bear — the animal
  10. shower — rain
  11. dip — to sink
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — child
  14. craft — boats
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. saw — the tool
  24. coach — a trainer

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