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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. craft — a skill
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mark — a trace
  15. craft — boats
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. chest — a box
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. spell — magic
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bat — the 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