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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. band — a ring
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. saw — the tool
  18. game — a match
  19. craft — boats
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. band — a music group
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bat — the animal
  24. craft — a skill

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