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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. present — there
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. club — for golf
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bat — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fine — all right
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. club — for dancing
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. kick — in football
  22. club — a group
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fine — high quality

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