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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. rule — a law
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. craft — a skill
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. craft — boats
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rule — government
  18. suit — to fit
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. shower — rain
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. suit — clothes
  24. date — the fruit

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