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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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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: kid · pop · stick · craft · staff · bear · leaves · wind

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. craft — boats
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pop — music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. staff — a stick
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kid — child
  16. staff — employees
  17. pop — soda
  18. staff — employees
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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