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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: kick · arm · cap · hide · bank · fan · toast · craft

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cap — a hat
  4. kick — in football
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bank — of a river
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bank — for money
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cap — a lid
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bank — for money

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