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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fine — all right
  3. saw — the tool
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. file — a document
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. file — a tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. file — a line of people
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to confront

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