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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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468
Word bank
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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pass — a permit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. present — a gift
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wind — moving air
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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