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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. squash — to crush
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mate — to breed
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mate — a partner
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. craft — boats
  15. wax — to grow
  16. deal — to handle
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. suit — clothes

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