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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pound — a weight
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. object — an aim
  7. suit — in cards
  8. land — a country
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. band — a music group
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. land — to come down
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. suit — clothes
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. land — ground
  23. band — a ring
  24. squash — the vegetable

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