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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. craft — boats
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. craft — a skill
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bound — certain
  8. key — the most important part
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rash — hasty
  15. present — a gift
  16. bear — the animal
  17. key — in music
  18. bound — obliged
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rash — a series
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ruler — for measuring

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