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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rock — a stone
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rock — music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mate — to breed
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. scale — in music
  24. rush — a thrill

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