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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 · jam · rule · suit · wake · bound · wave · face

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bound — certain
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. suit — to fit
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rule — a law
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. craft — boats
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wake — a trail
  20. face — to confront
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bound — obliged
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. suit — clothes

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