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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mate — to breed
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. craft — boats
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mate — a partner
  15. craft — a skill
  16. toast — bread
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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