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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. spell — letters
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cue — a hint
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. current — happening now
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cue — a signal
  18. spell — magic
  19. kid — child
  20. mate — to breed
  21. kid — to tease
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  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