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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. current — of water
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. current — electric
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. current — happening now
  15. craft — boats
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bat — the animal
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. racket — for tennis

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