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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rule — a law
  3. pop — music
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pop — soda
  6. kick — in football
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pop — to visit
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rule — government
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. squash — the sport
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lean — thin
  24. craft — a handicraft

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