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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. kid — child
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rock — music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. craft — a skill
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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