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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. craft — boats
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. file — a document
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rock — a stone
  9. file — a tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stand — to bear
  14. perch — the fish
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. craft — a skill
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rock — music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. file — a line of people
  24. craft — a handicraft

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