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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pop — to visit
  3. roll — a list
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. last — finally
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. last — to go on
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. game — a match
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. roll — a cake
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. game — wild animals
  22. last — final
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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