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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 · last · craft · object · rash · tear · snap · cap

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. last — to go on
  5. tear — to rip
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. last — finally
  9. cap — a lid
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. cap — a hat
  13. object — an aim
  14. last — final
  15. tear — from crying
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — boats
  18. rash — hasty
  19. snap — to click
  20. cap — of ice
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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