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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bank — for money
  3. mug — to rob
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bank — of a river
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rock — a stone
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. ground — the earth
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. bank — for money
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. stock — shares
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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