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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. craft — boats
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. lean — to bend
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. squash — the sport
  13. row — to paddle
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lean — thin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. row — a line
  20. craft — a skill
  21. object — to protest
  22. mug — to rob
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. lean — to rest against

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