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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. rest — a break
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fall — the season
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cell — a phone
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fall — to drop
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cell — in biology
  23. mouse — the animal
  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