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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to click
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. land — ground
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. tube — a container
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fine — all right
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. pit — a hole

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