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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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. craft — boats
  3. present — there
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bank — of a river
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mark — a trace
  9. face — to confront
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bound — certain
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. bound — tied together
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. bank — for money
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mark — a grade
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bank — for money

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