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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cell — in biology
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cell — a phone
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. craft — boats
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. file — a document
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. coach — a trainer

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