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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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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: saw · craft · scale · spring · ground · snap · hide · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ground — the earth
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. spring — the season
  6. snap — to click
  7. scale — size or range
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — a thing
  12. spring — a coil
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. craft — a skill
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. saw — the tool
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. craft — boats
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. object — to protest
  21. spring — of water
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. scale — in music
  24. hide — animal skin

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