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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. craft — a skill
  3. chair — a leader
  4. tear — to rip
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. craft — boats
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pound — a weight
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. last — finally
  14. deal — to handle
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. toast — bread
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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