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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fall — the season
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bore — to tire
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. march — the month
  8. rest — a break
  9. cue — for pool
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cue — a signal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ball — a dance
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cue — a hint
  22. march — the month
  23. craft — boats
  24. march — music

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