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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rule — government
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wind — moving air
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. row — a line
  17. rule — a law
  18. key — in music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bound — tied together

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