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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rash — hasty
  3. charge — in control
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. squash — to crush
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. drill — a practice
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. craft — a skill
  14. drill — army training
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rash — a series
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. squash — the sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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