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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. saw — the tool
  4. craft — a skill
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. row — a line
  12. lean — to bend
  13. craft — boats
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lean — thin
  23. row — to paddle
  24. cabinet — ministers

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