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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. craft — boats
  7. snap — to click
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. suit — to fit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mine — for digging
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. craft — a skill
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fall — to drop
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stock — shares
  24. suit — in cards

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