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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. saw — the tool
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. scale — size or range
  6. craft — boats
  7. mate — to breed
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. saw — the tool
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rock — music
  13. scale — in music
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bank — for money
  18. mate — a partner
  19. snap — to click
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bank — for money
  23. row — a line
  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