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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 116 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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wind — moving air
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. craft — boats
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chip — to eat
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wind — moving air
  19. squash — to crush
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wind — to turn a key

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