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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bulb — for light
  7. craft — boats
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mug — a face
  10. rest — a break
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bound — certain
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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