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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 120 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: ball · craft · rock · mug · wake · saw · hand · rash

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wake — a trail
  7. hand — help
  8. mug — to rob
  9. hand — in cards
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mug — a cup
  15. craft — boats
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rash — a series
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mug — a face
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ball — a great time
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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