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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rock — music
  3. tear — from crying
  4. craft — boats
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. row — a line
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rock — a stone
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. firm — a company
  14. row — to paddle
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. tear — to rip
  18. deal — to handle
  19. firm — decided
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. firm — steady
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. tear — from crying
  24. craft — a skill

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