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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 116 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: kid · cap · chip · bear · lie · craft · stick · rest

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rest — what's left
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. craft — boats
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lie — to recline
  16. kid — to tease
  17. chip — for betting
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rest — a break
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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