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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. craft — a skill
  3. squash — to crush
  4. board — to get on
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. kid — to tease
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. craft — boats
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. board — a committee
  15. squash — the sport
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. deal — to handle
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. branch — a division
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pass — a permit
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. squash — the vegetable

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