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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · craft · capital · stand · bear · chest

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. chest — of your body
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chest — a box
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. craft — boats
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. capital — money
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. capital — a city
  17. stand — to bear
  18. capital — a big letter

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