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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bound · game · row · hide · toast · craft · fork · spring

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. game — a match
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. row — to paddle
  5. spring — of water
  6. game — wild animals
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bound — obliged
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. craft — boats
  12. fork — in a road
  13. spring — the season
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. row — a line
  20. toast — bread
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spring — a coil
  24. fork — to eat with

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