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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fork — in a road
  3. craft — a skill
  4. shower — to wash
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. shower — rain
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fine — all right
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. season — in sport
  17. craft — boats
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. season — of the year
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. craft — a handicraft

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