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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. board — a committee
  4. swing — music
  5. track — a path
  6. swing — to play on
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. tear — to rip
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. tear — from crying
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bore — to tire
  17. track — a song
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. tear — from crying
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. swing — in golf
  23. craft — a skill
  24. board — to get on

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