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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mug — a face
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mug — a cup
  5. file — a tool
  6. spell — a short time
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. craft — boats
  10. file — a line of people
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bear — the animal
  13. craft — a skill
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. spell — letters
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kid — child
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. file — a document
  24. spell — magic

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