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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. craft — boats
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. land — to come down
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rash — a series
  22. pound — a weight
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. arm — part of the body

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