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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. squash — to crush
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. craft — boats
  5. lean — to bend
  6. object — to protest
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pass — a permit
  12. object — a thing
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lean — thin
  16. squash — the sport
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. object — an aim
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pass — to succeed

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