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

Word bank: wind · squash · craft · mate · arm · jam · mark · deal

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mate — a friend
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wind — moving air
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wind — moving air
  24. squash — to crush

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