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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. bank — for money
  5. net — after costs
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. present — there
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. net — in sport
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. present — the time now
  18. kick — in football
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. present — a gift
  21. row — a line
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. net — for catching
  24. lash — an eyelash

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