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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 116 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bore — to tire
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pop — soda
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bound — certain
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rash — a series
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bound — obliged
  16. craft — boats
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pop — music
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rash — hasty
  21. chair — a leader
  22. suit — to fit
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chair — to sit on

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