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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mug — a face
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mug — to rob
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. row — a line
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. row — to paddle
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. kick — in football
  21. craft — a skill
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. craft — boats
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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