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

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. file — a document
  6. craft — boats
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. board — a committee
  11. file — a tool
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stand — to bear
  14. tear — to rip
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mouse — the animal

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