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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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. craft — boats
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. last — to go on
  6. land — to come down
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. charge — in control
  10. land — a country
  11. charge — electricity
  12. last — finally
  13. charge — a price
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — the tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. last — final
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. fork — in a road

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