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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 124 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cell — a phone
  6. track — a song
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. craft — boats
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bound — certain
  11. cell — in biology
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. track — to keep track
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. track — a path
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. plane — a tool
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. craft — a skill
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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