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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. tear — from crying
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. track — a song
  7. tear — to rip
  8. squash — the sport
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. craft — a skill
  12. board — a committee
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. squash — to crush
  15. track — to keep track
  16. tear — from crying
  17. perch — the fish
  18. deal — to handle
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. track — a path
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. craft — boats

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