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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. can — a tin
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. object — an aim
  5. craft — boats
  6. can — to be able to
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wind — moving air
  11. object — a thing
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. object — to protest
  15. wind — moving air
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. row — to paddle
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. perch — the fish
  22. craft — a skill
  23. row — a line
  24. wind — to turn a key

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