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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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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. present — a gift
  3. ground — a position
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. present — the time now
  6. ground — the earth
  7. snap — to click
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. present — there
  12. bound — obliged
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. ground — crushed

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