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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 · ruler · present · cabinet · date · craft

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. craft — boats
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. present — the time now
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. craft — a skill
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. date — the fruit
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there

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