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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: bound · wake · craft · press · firm · spell · sharp · lie

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bound — certain
  3. firm — a company
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spell — a short time
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bound — tied together
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. lie — to recline
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wake — a trail
  21. press — to push
  22. bound — obliged
  23. firm — steady
  24. sharp — with an edge

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