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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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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: hide · chest · craft · cue · trunk · firm · saw · file

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. file — a document
  4. chest — a box
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. file — a tool
  8. firm — steady
  9. cue — a hint
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cue — for pool
  12. firm — a company
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — a signal
  20. firm — decided
  21. file — a line of people
  22. saw — the tool
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. hide — animal skin

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