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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: stick · bound · mine · craft · snap · bulb · rash · lie

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bulb — for light
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. craft — boats
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bound — obliged
  23. snap — to click
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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