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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. staff — a stick
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. craft — a skill
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wind — moving air
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. staff — employees
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. staff — employees
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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