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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. tear — from crying
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. content — the amount
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cap — of ice
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. craft — boats
  13. content — happy
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cap — a hat
  17. craft — a skill
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cap — a lid
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. season — in sport
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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