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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. firm — steady
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rash — a series
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lean — thin
  13. land — to come down
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. firm — decided
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. rash — hasty
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. firm — a company
  22. mug — a face
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rash — on the skin

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