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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. squash — to crush
  4. row — a line
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rule — a law
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. last — finally
  14. craft — a skill
  15. row — to paddle
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. scale — in music
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rule — government
  20. pound — a weight
  21. last — final
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. last — to go on
  24. pound — to hit hard

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