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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. file — a document
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. shower — rain
  5. file — a line of people
  6. tear — from crying
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. suit — clothes
  12. scale — in music
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. suit — to fit
  17. shower — to wash
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. craft — boats
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. file — a tool
  24. scale — size or range

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