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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. spring — a coil
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bulb — for light
  9. snap — to click
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mine — for digging
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bulb — for light
  21. row — a line
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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