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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. fall — to drop
  5. club — for golf
  6. fall — the season
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cue — a signal
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. squash — the sport
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. club — a group
  15. plane — a tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. net — after costs
  19. cue — for pool
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wind — moving air
  22. net — in sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. net — for catching

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