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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. squash — to crush
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mate — to breed
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. squash — the sport
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mate — a partner
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. craft — a skill

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