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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. dip — to sink
  5. object — an aim
  6. row — to paddle
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wound — an injury
  12. row — a line
  13. object — to protest
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wound — an injury
  19. saw — the tool
  20. deal — to handle
  21. object — a thing
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. kick — in football

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