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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 120 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: bear · fall · deal · hand · pit · file · craft · staff

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fall — to drop
  4. file — a document
  5. bear — the animal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. staff — employees
  8. file — a tool
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fall — the season
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. staff — employees
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bear — the animal
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. craft — boats
  21. hand — help
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fall — to drop

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