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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cold — not warm
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stand — to bear
  7. content — the amount
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. content — happy
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cold — an illness
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mate — a friend
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. craft — boats
  18. mate — to breed

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