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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. saw — the tool
  5. squash — the sport
  6. spring — of water
  7. ball — a great time
  8. squash — to crush
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pit — in a race
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fall — the season
  15. craft — boats
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. spring — the season
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pit — a hole
  21. spring — a coil
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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