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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. craft — a skill
  3. shower — to wash
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. snap — to click
  7. craft — boats
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cell — a phone
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. net — for catching
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. shower — rain
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rash — a series
  19. net — after costs
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. net — in sport
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rash — hasty

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