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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rule — government
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. squash — to crush
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. fall — the season
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. craft — boats
  14. can — a tin
  15. rule — a law
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. can — to be able to
  19. squash — the sport
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. can — a tin

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