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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.

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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: craft · bulb · race · row · fall · fork · cabinet · snap

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. race — humankind
  3. row — a line
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bulb — for light
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. race — the arms race
  17. craft — boats
  18. fall — the season
  19. race — a contest
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fork — in a road

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