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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — thin
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mark — a trace
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mark — a grade
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. snap — to click
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. craft — boats
  20. bound — certain
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. calf — of the leg

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