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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. craft — a skill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. last — finally
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. craft — boats
  9. last — final
  10. lean — to bend
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mug — a cup
  13. chip — for betting
  14. squash — to crush
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lean — thin
  17. stem — to come from
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mug — to rob
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. last — to go on
  22. chip — to eat
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stem — of a plant

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