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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. can — to be able to
  4. craft — a skill
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. craft — boats
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. can — a tin
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. can — a tin
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chest — a box
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — not warm
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rock — music

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