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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 124 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rash — a series
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mark — a trace
  5. craft — boats
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. row — to paddle
  11. craft — a skill
  12. board — a committee
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. cap — a lid
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mark — a grade
  19. shower — rain
  20. board — to get on
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. row — a line
  24. cap — a hat

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