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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. row — to paddle
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. craft — boats
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. suit — clothes
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. suit — in cards
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. tube — the underground
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wake — a trail
  15. row — a line
  16. suit — to fit
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. tube — a container
  20. net — for catching
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. net — after costs
  23. rash — a series
  24. craft — a handicraft

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