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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 116 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. present — the time now
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fall — the season
  6. season — in sport
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fall — to drop
  10. craft — boats
  11. present — there
  12. bound — tied together
  13. present — a gift
  14. fall — to drop
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bound — certain
  17. sharp — clever
  18. season — of the year
  19. drill — army training
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. drill — a practice
  24. saw — the tool

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