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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. craft — a skill
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. current — happening now
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mark — a trace
  9. current — electric
  10. mark — a grade
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tube — a container
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bear — the animal
  17. current — of water
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chest — a box

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