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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: shower · rash · squash · mine · stand · mark · arm · craft

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. craft — boats
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mark — a trace
  5. shower — rain
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mark — a grade
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rash — a series
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. craft — a skill
  23. shower — to wash
  24. arm — a part of something

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