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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. craft — a skill
  3. game — a match
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. craft — boats
  8. branch — a division
  9. saw — the tool
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. hand — in cards
  15. scale — in music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. hand — help
  20. game — wild animals
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. staff — employees
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fan — to cool the air

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