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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. craft — boats
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. can — a tin
  10. wind — moving air
  11. can — a tin
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rock — music
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. can — to be able to
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rock — to move gently

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