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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. last — finally
  3. tear — from crying
  4. land — to come down
  5. last — to go on
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. land — a country
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ball — a great time
  13. staff — employees
  14. wound — an injury
  15. tear — from crying
  16. last — final
  17. craft — a skill
  18. tear — to rip
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. land — ground
  24. ball — a dance

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