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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: row · craft · board · fine · jam · trunk · mate · snap

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mate — to breed
  3. craft — a skill
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mate — a friend
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. board — a committee
  10. snap — to click
  11. row — a line
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mate — a partner
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. board — to get on
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fine — all right
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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