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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. cold — not warm
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. rock — music
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. rock — a stone
  14. roll — a list
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cold — an illness
  19. mug — a cup
  20. craft — a skill
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. roll — a cake
  23. mug — a face
  24. rock — to move gently

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