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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: bound · board · mark · firm · cell · craft · tear · lean

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. board — a committee
  4. lean — thin
  5. bound — tied together
  6. firm — a company
  7. cell — in biology
  8. firm — decided
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bound — obliged
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bound — certain
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. board — to get on
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. tear — to rip
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. craft — a skill
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mark — a grade
  24. firm — steady

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