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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. foot — a measure
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. squash — to crush
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. craft — boats
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rash — hasty
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. squash — the sport

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