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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. kid — child
  3. file — a tool
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rest — a break
  9. kid — to tease
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stand — to bear
  16. craft — boats
  17. saw — the tool
  18. file — a document
  19. rash — a series
  20. file — a line of people
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. safe — out of danger

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