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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. present — there
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. staff — employees
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. present — a gift
  9. object — an aim
  10. rule — a law
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. present — the time now
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. file — a tool
  16. craft — a skill
  17. object — a thing
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. file — a document
  22. object — to protest
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. craft — boats

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