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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — to crush
  7. swing — to play on
  8. hand — help
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stand — to bear
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. craft — boats
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hand — in cards
  19. prune — to trim
  20. craft — a skill
  21. toast — bread
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. swing — music
  24. craft — a handicraft

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