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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. club — a group
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. snap — to click
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. lean — to bend
  9. craft — a skill
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lean — thin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. club — for golf
  20. squash — the sport
  21. craft — boats
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. squash — to crush

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