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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mug — a cup
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rash — a series
  6. wind — moving air
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wake — a trail
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. craft — a skill
  13. kick — in football
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rash — hasty
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. craft — boats
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mug — a face

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