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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 120 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: ruler · craft · fine · bay · bat · hand · net · wave

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bat — the animal
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. net — after costs
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fine — high quality
  12. hand — help
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fine — all right
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. net — for catching
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. net — in sport

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