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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 116 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. track — a path
  3. object — to protest
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. spring — of water
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pound — a weight
  14. spring — the season
  15. track — a song
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. craft — a skill
  18. ground — crushed
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ground — a position
  21. spring — a coil
  22. ground — the earth
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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