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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. craft — boats
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fall — the season
  15. land — ground
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. snap — to click
  24. fan — to cool the air

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