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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bass — the fish
  3. squash — the sport
  4. craft — boats
  5. rash — a series
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. press — a publisher
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bass — low music
  18. squash — to crush
  19. press — to push
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. press — newspapers
  24. ruler — for measuring

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