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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. land — ground
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mug — to rob
  6. squash — the sport
  7. craft — boats
  8. current — of water
  9. land — a country
  10. cell — in biology
  11. mug — a face
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cell — a phone
  14. staff — a stick
  15. current — electric
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bore — to tire
  18. staff — employees
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. mug — a cup
  21. staff — employees
  22. craft — a skill
  23. land — to come down
  24. current — happening now

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