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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. craft — boats
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mug — a face
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spell — letters
  9. kick — in football
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. staff — employees
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spell — magic
  16. staff — employees
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rock — music
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mug — to rob
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rock — a 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