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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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 — boats
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. object — to protest
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. squash — to crush
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. straw — dry grass
  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