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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. scale — in music
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. craft — boats
  11. wind — moving air
  12. last — finally
  13. scale — size or range
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. can — a tin
  21. object — an aim
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. craft — a skill

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