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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bulb — for light
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spring — a coil
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lie — to recline
  8. kid — child
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. season — of the year
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spring — the season
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spring — of water
  20. kid — to tease
  21. craft — boats
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. season — in sport

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