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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. tube — the underground
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. tube — a container
  7. pitch — completely
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. track — a path
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. track — a song
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. track — to keep track
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. tube — in a tire

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