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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. land — a country
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mate — to breed
  6. game — a match
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mate — a partner
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mate — a friend
  15. land — ground
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. craft — boats
  18. game — wild animals
  19. land — to come down
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mug — a face
  24. hide — to keep secret

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