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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mug — a face
  12. craft — boats
  13. game — a match
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spring — the season
  16. pass — a permit
  17. kid — child
  18. spring — a coil
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. spring — of water
  22. game — wild animals
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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