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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 124 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. can — a tin
  5. squash — the sport
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chair — a leader
  8. squash — to crush
  9. craft — boats
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rest — what's left
  12. can — a tin
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. can — to be able to
  20. rest — a break
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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