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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mug — a cup
  3. kid — child
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. object — to protest
  8. mug — a face
  9. rush — hurry
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. craft — a skill
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. object — a thing
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. craft — boats
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. kid — to tease

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