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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chip — for betting
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. plane — a tool
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. craft — boats
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mug — a face
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. chip — to eat
  24. craft — a handicraft

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