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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cue — for pool
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cue — a signal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. lean — thin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. craft — boats
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cue — a hint
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mate — a friend
  24. saw — the tool

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