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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. season — of the year
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. can — to be able to
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. land — to come down
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. land — a country
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. land — ground
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. can — a tin
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. can — a tin
  19. craft — a skill
  20. season — in sport
  21. craft — boats
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cue — for pool

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