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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. fine — high quality
  20. kid — child
  21. fine — all right
  22. craft — a skill
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. kid — to tease

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