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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bass — low music
  6. craft — boats
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fall — the season
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. craft — a skill
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. dip — to sink
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bass — the fish
  24. safe — out of danger

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