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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bound — tied together
  5. last — to go on
  6. squash — the sport
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. net — after costs
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bound — obliged
  12. net — for catching
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. deal — to handle
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bound — certain
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. craft — boats
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. net — in sport
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. object — an aim

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