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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.

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: tube · present · can · racket · bat · wake · hide · craft

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. tube — a container
  5. present — the time now
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. tube — the underground
  10. can — a tin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wake — a trail
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. can — a tin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. present — there

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