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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rest — what's left
  3. craft — a skill
  4. game — a match
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. tear — from crying
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rest — a break
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cue — a hint
  12. tear — from crying
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rest — what's left
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. craft — boats
  24. deal — to handle

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