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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cell — in biology
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. last — finally
  13. cell — a phone
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. last — final
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. last — to go on
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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