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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. craft — a skill
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. season — in sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. roll — a cake
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. season — of the year
  12. craft — boats
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. date — the fruit

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