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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rash — a series
  4. kick — in football
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. craft — boats
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. game — wild animals
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fine — all right
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. game — a match
  14. fine — high quality
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. snap — to click

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