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

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. snap — to click
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. craft — boats
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lean — to bend
  7. tube — the underground
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lean — thin
  13. craft — a skill
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tube — a container
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stem — to come from
  18. tube — in a tire

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