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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 120 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: craft · mug · rule · squash · tube · wake · calf · bound

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rule — a law
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rule — government
  8. bound — tied together
  9. tube — the underground
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mug — a cup
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bound — certain
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. tube — a container
  24. mug — a face

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