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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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 — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rash — hasty
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. present — there
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. roll — a list
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. present — a gift
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. present — the time now
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. craft — a skill
  21. roll — a cake
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rash — a series
  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