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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. row — a line
  7. spring — a coil
  8. hand — in cards
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hand — help
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. can — a tin
  22. season — in sport
  23. fall — the season
  24. spring — of water

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