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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fall — the season
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pop — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. saw — the tool
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. craft — a skill
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pop — soda
  19. cue — a signal
  20. craft — boats
  21. row — a line
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mouse — the animal

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