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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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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 · saw · cue · spring · snap · bank · hide · foot

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cue — a signal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cue — a hint
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bank — for money
  13. snap — to click
  14. spring — of water
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cue — for pool
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. spring — a coil
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. saw — the tool
  24. spring — the season

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