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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · row · file · hide · bowl · hand · spring · craft

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. file — a line of people
  3. spring — a coil
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. spring — of water
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. snap — to click
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. file — a tool
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. row — a line
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — boats
  18. hand — help
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. file — a document
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bowl — a dish

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