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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. object — a thing
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. spring — the season
  8. wind — moving air
  9. spring — of water
  10. can — a tin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spring — a coil
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. craft — a skill
  16. perch — the fish
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. object — an aim
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wind — moving air
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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