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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rest — a break
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. can — a tin
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. can — a tin
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bound — obliged
  15. craft — boats
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mine — for digging
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. can — to be able to
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bound — certain

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