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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mug — a face
  3. suit — to fit
  4. squash — to crush
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. kick — in football
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. squash — the sport
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mug — a cup
  12. suit — clothes
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. craft — boats
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. mug — to rob
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bass — the fish
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. date — the fruit

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