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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. craft — boats
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bound — certain

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