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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: fall · rush · squash · arm · firm · content · rest · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. firm — steady
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rest — what's left
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rest — what's left
  7. craft — boats
  8. squash — the sport
  9. content — happy
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fall — the season
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rush — hurry
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rest — a break
  17. firm — decided
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. firm — a company
  21. content — the amount
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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