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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fall — to drop
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. content — happy
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. content — the amount
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. snap — to click
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fall — the season
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fan — a supporter

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