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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bore — to drill
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. bear — the animal
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. file — a line of people
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bear — the animal

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