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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 120 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. field — a subject
  4. wake — a trail
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. can — a tin
  7. field — for sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. dip — to sink
  11. craft — boats
  12. can — a tin
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. kick — in football
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. field — farmland
  20. can — to be able to
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pass — a permit
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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