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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: fall · arm · rash · capital · bound · saw · craft · pass

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bound — certain
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bound — obliged
  11. fall — the season
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. capital — money
  17. saw — the tool
  18. craft — boats
  19. fall — to drop
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. capital — a city
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bound — tied together

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