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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: leaves · row · saw · tube · temple · craft · bass · snap

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tube — the underground
  4. snap — to click
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. row — a line
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. craft — a skill
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. craft — boats
  15. tube — a container
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bass — low music
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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