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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: craft · can · hide · present · date · object · pit · snap

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. can — a tin
  3. object — an aim
  4. can — to be able to
  5. present — a gift
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. date — the fruit
  8. can — a tin
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. snap — to click
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. object — a thing
  15. pit — a hole
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pit — in a race
  18. object — to protest
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. craft — boats
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. hide — to keep secret

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