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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 · rock · chair · fall · pit · craft

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rock — music
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rock — a stone
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. craft — boats
  14. pit — a hole
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pit — in a race
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rock — to move gently

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