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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · tear · pass · mouse · season · saw · pit · wake

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. saw — the tool
  5. craft — a skill
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pit — in a race
  20. tear — from crying
  21. craft — boats
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wake — before a funeral

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