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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bat — the animal
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. stem — to come from
  11. spell — letters
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. craft — boats
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mark — a grade
  18. spell — magic
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spell — a short time
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stem — of a plant

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