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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · fine · mug · kid · hide · squash · saw · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. squash — the sport
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mug — a face
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mug — a cup
  14. fine — high quality
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. craft — a skill
  19. kid — child
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mug — to rob
  23. craft — boats
  24. fine — all right

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