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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. object — a thing
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. craft — a skill
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cap — of ice
  13. tube — a container
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cap — a hat
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rest — a break
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rest — what's left
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. snap — to click

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