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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. row — to paddle
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. row — a line
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. band — a ring
  18. craft — a skill
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. band — a music group
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. nail — on a finger

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