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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. craft — a skill
  3. spell — magic
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mark — a trace
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. craft — boats
  10. spell — letters
  11. stem — to come from
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. fork — in a road
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mark — to pay attention

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