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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fall — the season
  3. craft — a skill
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bound — obliged
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hand — help
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. craft — boats
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bound — certain
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wax — to grow
  23. hand — in cards
  24. fork — a garden tool

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