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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bear — the animal
  7. present — there
  8. craft — a skill
  9. object — to protest
  10. present — a gift
  11. board — to get on
  12. present — the time now
  13. bear — the animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. bound — tied together
  16. kid — to tease
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. board — a committee
  19. kid — child
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. snap — to click
  24. object — an aim

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