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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. cold — an illness
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cold — not warm
  10. drill — army training
  11. row — a line
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. craft — boats
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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