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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cue — for pool
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cue — a signal
  6. suit — to fit
  7. present — there
  8. suit — clothes
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. shower — rain
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. present — the time now
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cue — a hint
  20. ground — the earth
  21. craft — boats
  22. present — a gift
  23. saw — the tool
  24. shower — to wash

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