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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cell — a phone
  4. squash — the sport
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pitch — completely
  7. staff — employees
  8. cell — in biology
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. fall — the season
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. staff — employees
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. craft — boats
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fall — to drop

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