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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cap — of ice
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cue — for pool
  8. hand — in cards
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cue — a signal
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pound — a weight
  24. hand — help

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