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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. rest — what's left
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bark — to shout
  7. file — a document
  8. craft — a skill
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — a price
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. charge — electricity
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. file — a line of people
  18. charge — in control
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. file — a tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. march — music
  23. rest — a break
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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