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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stem — to come from
  3. craft — boats
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bound — certain
  6. can — a tin
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mug — a cup
  9. snap — to click
  10. can — to be able to
  11. last — finally
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mug — to rob
  14. present — a gift
  15. bound — tied together
  16. can — a tin
  17. present — the time now
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bound — obliged
  20. last — final
  21. craft — a skill
  22. last — to go on
  23. present — there
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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