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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. band — a music group
  6. present — a gift
  7. craft — boats
  8. present — there
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. band — a ring
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. board — a committee
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. snap — to click
  19. board — to get on
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. present — the time now
  24. calf — a young animal

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