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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.

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: wave · saw · fan · craft · cell · stick · bound · rash

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rash — a series
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bound — certain
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. craft — boats
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cell — a phone

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