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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. suit — clothes
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. season — of the year
  7. row — a line
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. craft — boats
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. craft — a skill
  17. kid — child
  18. suit — in cards
  19. row — to paddle
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. season — in sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. suit — to fit

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