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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 120 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: season · cap · drill · craft · rule · mouse · tear · hide

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rule — a law
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cap — a lid
  10. drill — the tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. drill — army training
  15. tear — to rip
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rule — government
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. craft — boats
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. season — of the year

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