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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. face — part of the head
  3. snap — to click
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. face — to confront
  8. fall — to drop
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fork — in a road
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fall — to drop
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bound — obliged
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fall — the season
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. chip — in a computer

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