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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 116 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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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: cap · craft · season · saw · lean · mark · bound · wake

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. season — in sport
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lean — thin
  9. cap — of ice
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bound — tied together
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. craft — boats
  15. bound — certain
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bound — obliged
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. season — of the year
  24. craft — a skill

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