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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: craft · bowl · mate · bay · wound · shower · ground · rule

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. ground — a position
  5. rule — government
  6. craft — boats
  7. rule — a law
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. mate — to breed
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. mate — a partner
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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