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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bat — the animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. last — final
  7. craft — a skill
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bound — certain
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lean — thin
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. craft — boats
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lean — to bend
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bat — in an idiom

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