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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. row — to paddle
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bound — obliged
  8. drill — army training
  9. staff — employees
  10. bound — certain
  11. mate — a partner
  12. staff — employees
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bound — tied together
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. swing — to play on
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mate — a friend
  23. swing — music
  24. row — a line

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