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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: pop · rest · mark · spell · bay · craft · kid · bound

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. craft — boats
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rest — what's left
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pop — to visit
  8. spell — magic
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rest — a break
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bound — obliged
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. spell — letters
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pop — music
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pop — soda
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bound — certain

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