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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rule — a law
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rule — government
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fork — in a road
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lean — thin
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fall — the season
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. craft — boats
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lean — to bend
  24. sharp — exactly

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