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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rest — what's left
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rest — a break
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wound — an injury
  10. craft — a skill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. dip — a sauce

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