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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bat — the animal
  4. snap — to click
  5. craft — boats
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mark — a grade
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. ruler — a monarch

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