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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 120 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bound — certain
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. staff — a stick
  8. craft — a skill
  9. track — to keep track
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. track — a song
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. staff — employees
  16. bound — tied together
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bound — obliged
  21. hand — in cards
  22. craft — boats
  23. track — a path
  24. hand — help

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