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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bulb — for light
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rash — a series
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stock — goods
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stock — shares
  20. rash — hasty
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mark — a grade

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