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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. firm — a company
  6. land — a country
  7. fall — to drop
  8. squash — to crush
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. land — to come down
  11. fall — the season
  12. land — ground
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. firm — steady
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pit — in a race
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. firm — decided
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pit — a hole
  24. calf — of the leg

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