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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bulb — for light
  4. land — ground
  5. mug — a face
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. snap — to click
  8. rash — a series
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. land — a country
  12. craft — a skill
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rash — hasty
  16. tear — from crying
  17. craft — boats
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mug — a cup
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mate — a friend
  24. land — to come down

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