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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stem — to come from
  3. craft — boats
  4. march — the month
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. craft — a skill
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. club — for golf
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. march — the month
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. club — for dancing
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. march — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. club — a group
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. snap — to click
  24. hide — animal skin

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