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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. craft — a skill
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mate — a partner
  7. can — a tin
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mate — to breed
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. can — to be able to
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pound — a weight
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bulb — for light
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bulb — for light
  20. can — a tin
  21. mate — a friend
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. craft — boats
  24. wake — a trail

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