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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. craft — boats
  3. kid — child
  4. ground — the earth
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cue — a signal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. ground — a position
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cue — a hint
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. craft — a skill
  24. game — a kind of play

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