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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fall — the season
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. last — final
  7. craft — boats
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. dip — to sink
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. last — finally
  13. fall — to drop
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. fall — to drop
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. last — to go on
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. squash — to crush
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lean — thin
  24. nail — for a hammer

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