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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · craft · bear · rush · saw · can · capital · land

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. capital — money
  3. can — a tin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. land — ground
  6. saw — the tool
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mate — a partner
  9. land — a country
  10. rush — hurry
  11. craft — boats
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. capital — a city
  14. bear — the animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. mate — to breed
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. can — a tin
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rush — to hurry

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