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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bound — obliged
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rash — a series
  13. net — for catching
  14. craft — a skill
  15. suit — clothes
  16. net — after costs
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rash — hasty
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bound — tied together
  21. net — in sport
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bound — certain

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