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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. squash — the sport
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pop — soda
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pop — music
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. object — an aim
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. object — to protest
  17. hand — help
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pop — to visit
  21. object — a thing
  22. hand — in cards
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. craft — boats

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