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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: craft · mouse · face · snap · lie · spell · bound · rock

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rock — music
  3. craft — a skill
  4. face — to confront
  5. craft — boats
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. snap — to click
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bound — certain
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bound — obliged
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bound — tied together
  24. spell — a short time

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