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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. file — a document
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. craft — boats
  5. bulb — for light
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. file — a tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — in cards
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. file — a line of people
  24. craft — a skill

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