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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. charge — a price
  4. lie — to recline
  5. squash — the sport
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. craft — a skill
  8. charge — in control
  9. stand — to bear
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. charge — electricity
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. sharp — clever
  17. squash — to crush
  18. craft — boats
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bass — low music
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bass — the fish

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