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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 · arm · spell · bound · row · jam · bay · saw

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. craft — boats
  3. spell — letters
  4. row — to paddle
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bound — tied together
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. spell — magic
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. craft — a skill
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — certain
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. row — a line
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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