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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cue — for pool
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bound — certain
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cue — a signal
  15. craft — boats
  16. press — to push
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bound — obliged
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. dip — to sink
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mate — a friend
  24. press — newspapers

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