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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kick — in football
  6. suit — to fit
  7. craft — boats
  8. spring — the season
  9. cell — in biology
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. mug — a cup
  17. wake — a trail
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cell — a phone
  20. spring — a coil
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. spring — of water

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