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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. game — a match
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mark — a grade
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. craft — a skill
  9. object — a thing
  10. mark — a trace
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. tube — a container
  13. game — wild animals
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bank — of a river
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bank — for money
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. snap — to click
  23. craft — boats
  24. tube — in a tire

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