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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 120 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bound — obliged
  4. craft — boats
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rash — a series
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bound — certain
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. dip — to sink
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. craft — a skill

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