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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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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: shower · bay · file · coach · pit · craft · bat · arm

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. shower — rain
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. craft — a skill
  7. file — a tool
  8. pit — in a race
  9. file — a line of people
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bat — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. file — a document
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. craft — boats
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. shower — to wash
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. arm — part of the body

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