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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. current — happening now
  10. craft — a skill
  11. current — electric
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pound — a weight
  14. squash — the sport
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. current — of water
  17. mug — to rob
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. craft — boats
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mug — a face

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