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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. craft — boats
  3. mark — a grade
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bound — certain
  6. can — to be able to
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. press — to push
  11. shower — to wash
  12. can — a tin
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. craft — a skill
  16. hand — help
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. press — newspapers
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. can — a tin
  21. press — a publisher
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. shower — rain
  24. trunk — of a car

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