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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. clip — a video
  5. bore — to drill
  6. craft — boats
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. shower — rain
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. shower — to wash
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mark — a trace
  14. craft — a skill
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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